Techniques
Resource (Wikipedia Article)
Stances (Dachi Waza)
fudo dachi: rooted stance
hachiji dachi: natural stance
hangetsu dachi: half-moon stance
heisoku dachi: informal attention stance
kiba dachi: horse stance / side stance
kokutsu dachi: back stance
kosa dachi: cross-legged stance
neko ashi dachi: cat stance
renoji dachi: L-stance (e.g. in the kata, Heian godan)
sanchin dachi: hourglass stance
katashi dachi: crane-like stance (e.g. in the kata Enpi)
tsuru ashi dachi: crane stance (e.g. in the kata Gankaku)
zenkutsu dachi: front stance
yoi dachi: basic stance
Preparatory Positions
koshi gamae: hip preparatory position
manji gamae: “lambda”-shaped preparatory position, one arm raised above and behind the head with the other arm blocking low in front of the body (e.g., in the kata, Heian godan)
manji uke: “lambda”-shaped block
ryoken koshi gamae: double hip preparatory position (e.g. in the kata, Heian sandan)
morote koko gamae: double handed preparatory position (e.g. in the kata, Enpi)
Blocking Techniques (Uke-waza)
Using the Arms
age-uke: rising high-level block
empi uke: elbow block (e.g. in the kata, Heian sandan)
chudan juki(originally,”tsuki”): mid-level punch
gedan barai: sweeping low block
gedan morote barai: double sweeping low block (usually while going into kiba dachi)
haiwan uke: square side block (e.g. in the kata, Heian nidan)
juji uke: x block
kaisho ake uke: open-palm rising block
kaisho haiwan uke: knife-hand square side block (e.g. in the kata, Heian yondan)
kaisho juji uke: open-palm x block (e.g. in the kata, Heian godan)
kakiwake uke: floating x block (e.g. in the kata, Heian yondan)
morote uke: double forearm block (e.g. in the kata, Heian sandan)
nagashi uke: rising palm sweep block (e.g. in the kata, Tekki shodan)
osae uke: palm block
otoshi uke: dropping forearm block
shuto age uke: rising knife-hand block
shuto gedan barai: knife-hand sweeping low block
shuto uke: knife hand block
shuto mawashi uke (roundhouse block with knife-hand)
soto uke: outside forearm block
sukui uke: scooping block
tate shuto uke: half knife-hand block
te osae uke: dropping palm block
uchi ude uke: inside forearm block
uchi uke: outside mid-level block
uchi uke gyaku hanmi: inside mid-level block with reverse hand (e.g. in the kata, Heian nidan)
ude barai: reverse sweeping forearm block
kami tsukami: hair grab (e.g. in the kata, Enpi)
ushiro gedan barai: reverse low sweeping block (e.g. in the kata, Enpi)
Using the Legs
ashikubi kake uke: hooking ankle block
mika zuki geri uke: crescent kick block (e.g. in the kata, Heian godan)
nami ashi, a.k.a. nami gaeshi: leg snapping wave block (e.g. in the kata, Tekki shodan)
sokutei osae uke: pressing sole block
sokuto osae uke: pressing footedge block
Striking Techniques (Uchi-waza)
Age empi: Rising elbow strike
Age Tzuki: Rising Punch
Choku zuki: Straight jab punch
Empi uchi: Elbow strike
Gyaku zuki: Reverse punch
Haishu uchi: Back hand strike
Haito uchi: Ridge hand strike
Hisami zuki: Scissor strike
Jun Zuki: front hand ‘jab’ punch, differing from Kizami Zuki in that shoulders are square
Kagi zuki: Hook punch
Kizami zuki: Straight, front hand lunging punch (like a ‘jab’)
Mae mawashi empi uchi: Augmented side elbow strike (e.g. in the kata, Heian yondan)
Mawashi empi: Hook elbow strike
Morote zuki: Double punch (e.g. in the kata, Tekki shodan)
Nakadaka Ippon Ken : one knuckle fist
Nukite: Spear-hand strike
Oi zuki: Lunge punch (shoulders square)
Sanbon zuki: Triple punch (age zuki, gyaku zuki, choku zuki)
Shuto uchi: Knifehand strike
Shuto yoko ganmen uchi (knife-hand strike to head)
Shuto sakotsu uchikomi (driving knife-hand to sternum)
Shuto sakotsu uchi (knife-hand strike to clavicle)
Shuto hizo uchi (knife-hand strike to spleen)
Shuto jodan uchi uchi (inside knife-hand to neck)
Sokumen empi uchi: Augmented elbow strike (e.g. in the kata, Tekki shodan)
Tate zuki: Half reverse punch, with a vertical fist
Teisho furi uchi: Sideways palm-heel strike
Teisho uchi: Palm-heel strike
Tettsui: Hammer-fist strike
Tettsui hasami uchi: Hammer-fist scissor strike
Tettsui yoko uchi (bottom fist strike to side)
Uraken uchi: Backfist strike
Uraken mawashi uchi (backfist circular strike to the head)
Uraken sayu ganmen uchi (backfist strike to side)
Uraken hizo uchi (backfist strike to spleen)
Ushiro empi ate (backwards elbow strike)
Ura zuki: Close short punch, with inverted fist, similar in nature to an ‘uppercut’
Ushiro empi: Back elbow strike
Yama zuki (“mountain punch”): Wide double fisted strike (e.g. in the kata, Bassai dai and Wankan)
Awase zuke: Narrow double fisted strike
Yoko empi: Side elbow strike
Yoko tettsui: Sideways hammer-fist strike (e.g. in the kata, Heian Nidan)
Gyaku age zuki: Rising reverse punch (e.g. in the kata, Enpi)
Kicking Techniques (Keri-waza)
Ashi barai: Foot sweep
Fumikomi: Stomp kick
Hiza geri: Knee strike
Kin geri: Kick in the groin, performed like front kick but with the feet
Mae-ashi mae geri, a.k.a choku geri: Front kick with front leg
Mae-ashi mawashi geri: Front roundhouse kick with front leg
Mae geri: Front kick
Mae Hiza geri: Front knee kick
Mae-ren geri: Double front kick (= double mae geri)
Mae tobi geri: Front flying kick
Mawashi geri: Roundhouse kick
Mawashi hiza geri: Circular knee kick
Mikazuki geri: Crescent kick
Nidan tobi geri: Double jump front kick
Tobi geri: Jump kick
Tobi hiza geri: Jumping knee kick
Tobi ushiro mawashi geri: Jumping reverse roundhouse kick
Ura mawashi geri: Upper inside roundhouse kick, a.k.a. hook kick
Ushiro geri: Back kick
Ushiro mawashi geri : Reverse roundhouse kick
Ushiro kekomi: Back side thrust kick
Otoshi Mawashi Geri: Circular falling kick
Yoko geri keage: Side snap kick
Yoko geri kekomi: Side thrust kick
Yoko tobi geri: Jumping side kick
Kata
Please click on the Kata name to watch video of kata performed by Sensei Kanazawa
Heian Shodan
Heian Nidan
Heian Sandan
Heian Yondan
Heian Godan
Tekki Shodan
Bassai Dai
Kanku Dai
Enpi
Jitte
Jion
Tekki Nidan
Bassai Sho